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Thursday, February 20, 2014

PrEP. A new prevention option

Is Truvada™ (PrEP) a magic pill, a bad pill or somewhere in between? There are a lot of opinions on the iPrex HIV study - the program that introduced the Truvada™ HIV prevention pill. We must do everything we can to stop HIV. Truvada™ will be one more tool we can add to the mix. Stay informed.

When the iPrex study was released,

it seemed to answer some questions, yet create more.

Who makes a good candidate for Truvada™? How accessible is a prescription? Will insurance cover the cost? If I don't have insurance, how will I pay for it?

Why aren't more people talking about Truvada™ (PrEP)?

Truvada™ works as long as you take it as prescribed (one pill a day). Would you be able to commit to take one pill a day?

Keep in mind - even when using the HIV Prevention Pill/Truvada™ or PrEP - it is not a replacement for condom use. From the Truvada website: "You must still practice safer sex at all times – Do not have any kind of sex without protection. Always practice safer sex by using a latex or polyurethane condom"Start Truvada website ™ via Gilead.

From the Center for AIDS Prevention Studies (CAPS) University California San Francisco (UCSF) fact sheet on PrEP (link below). "PrEP should never be seen as the first line of defense against HIV. PrEP should be delivered as a part of a comprehensive prevention package that includes risk-reduction and adherence counseling, encouragement of condom use, and diagnosis and treatment of STIs."

My PrEP Experience- Real stories from people who have chosen to use PrEP as one way to protect themselves from HIV.

Project Inform | PrEP "Getting access to PrEP starts with an honest conversation with your health care provider. Find one you feel comfortable talking to about sex and who is able and willing to prescribe PrEP for you. You will need an initial assessment and blood work done before getting the prescription. And, even afterwards, you need to see him/her regularly. If you don’t have a provider, you may be able to access PrEP through local clinical studies and other services."